from WEG communications

Campbellville, ON — Captaintreacherous, last year’s champion 2-year-old colt pacer in both Canada and the United States, has been made the 2-1 favorite in a competitive field of 10 for the C$1 million Pepsi North America Cup, this Saturday at Mohawk Racetrack.

The 30th edition of the world’s richest pacing event, showcasing the finest 3-year-olds on the continent, will go postward at 9:40 p.m. and will be shown live on The Score in a special one-hour telecast from 9–10 p.m. (EDT). The winner will earn C$500,000.

Post positions were drawn today at Mohawk, with Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Gardiner as the guest drawmaster.

[View Mohawk video interview with Jake Gardiner]

Last Saturday, three Cup eliminations were held to determine the field for the final. The three winners, Captaintreacherous, Fool Me Once and Vegas Vacation, earned their connections the right to choose a post before the balance of the field was drawn. Sixteen of the past 29 Cup winners also won their elimination.

In a shake amongst the three elim winners to determine selection order, Vegas Vacation earned the first selection, taking post two, Fool Me Once was second and selected post three while the connections for Captaintreacherous took post four.

USTA/Ken Weingartner photo

Captaintreacherous and trainer Tony Alagana are favored in the North America Cup.

Captaintreacherous (post four, 2-1), trained by Tony Alagna (who also sends out Wake Up Peter) for Captaintreacherous Racing of Versailles, Ky., is far and away the field’s leading money winner with $974,046. To be handled by North America’s leading driver Tim Tetrick, seeking his first Cup win, Captaintreacherous, a $250,000 yearling purchase, is perfect in two starts this year, opening with a victory in a Pennsylvania Sires Stake May 19 at Pocono Downs before winning his Cup elim last week in 1:48.4, defeating Captive Audience by three-quarters of a length.

“I was very happy with the way he raced,” said Alagna, shortly after the elim. “Tim (Tetrick) said when that horse (Captive Audience) came at him halfway down the lane, he grabbed the bit again and did his work and did what he needed to do. Our first focus was the North America Cup and hopefully we can get the job done with him.”

Last year, the son of champion and 2008 Cup winner Somebeachsomewhere enjoyed a banner campaign, winning eight of 10 starts, including the C$1 million Metro Pace. His only disappointing result was a third place finish to Rockin Amadeus and Wake Up Peter in the Breeders Crown at Woodbine after easily winning his elim eight days earlier. His only other loss came in his career debut when losing by a neck at the Meadowlands in July.

“We’re just trying to add to this horse’s credentials,” continued Alagna. “He’s a horse that deserves to be a stallion some day and being the first great son of Somebeachsomewhere speaks highly of him.”

Captaintreacherous and Wake Up Peter were both bred by White Birch Farm of Allentown, N.J.

Vegas Vacation (post two, 5-2), trained by Casie Coleman, who won the 2010 Cup with Sportswriter, is unbeaten in four starts this year, including a career best 1:48.3 mark when taking a division of the Somebeachsomewhere on June 1.

Last week, the gelded son of 2001 Cup winner Bettor’s Delight was a 1-1/2 length victor in his elim in 1:49 with Scott Zeron in the sulky. In 2012, Vegas Vacation won only once in 10 starts, but was the runner-up on six occasions for Ontario owners West Wins Stable of Cambridge, Adriano Sorella of Milton, Anthony Beaton of Waterdown and Phyllis Saunders of Hamilton.

“I told Scott to pick any hole he wanted but if he was picking first, he said he wanted the two,” explained Coleman. “There’s a lot of front speed. Vegas is very versatile. We’re lucky that way. He can blast off the gate, he can come first over, come off the helmet. His best trip is if somehow Scott can get second over. But it’s going to be interesting for sure. They’ll be lots of speed up front. He trained this morning, he was awesome. He’s coming into the race in great shape.”

Fool Me Once (post three, 4-1), driven by Sylvain Filion for co-owner and trainer Mark Austin of Fergus, Ontario, clocked the fastest elim, a career best 1:48.1, handily defeating Wake Up Peter by two lengths.

One of three Art Major colts in the Cup, Fool Me Once won four of 10 starts as a 2-year-old. He’s also co-owned by Dan Smith of London, Ontario, who also co-owned 1997 Cup winner Gothic Dream.

Odds On Equuleus (post eight, 8-1), to be driven by record six-time Cup winner John Campbell, has only raced twice this year, most recently finishing second to Vegas Vacation in his elim. The son of Art Major won five of nine starts last year, including a division of the Nassagaweya and a Metro elim, before losing the Metro final to Captaintreacherous by a neck.

Owned by Odds On Racing of Crete, Ill., and trained by Robin Schadt, Odds On Equuleus is the field’s second leading money winner with $429,784. Campbell last won the Cup in 1999 with The Panderosa.

Wake Up Peter (post six, 8-1), a son of the late 2005 Cup winner Rocknroll Hanover, finished second to Fool Me Once in his elim. In his previous start, the Tony Alagna trainee was third to Rockin Amadeus in a New Jersey Sires Stake.

Last year, he finished second, a half-length behind Rockin Amadeus, but a quarter-length in front of Captaintreacherous, in the Breeders Crown final after winning his elim for his U.S. owners, Wake Up Peter Partners, Brittany Farms, Louis Willinger and Eagles Soar Partners.

Wake Up Peter will be driven by Ron Pierce, who has won two Cups, with Total Truth in 2006 and Well Said in 2009.

Apprentice Hanover (post one, 20-1), one of three Somebeachsomewhere colts in the Cup, will be driven by Jody Jamieson for trainer Ben Wallace. Owned by Bradley Grant of Milton, Apprentice Hanover most recently finished third to Vegas Vacation in his elim. Last year, he won five of 10 outings, including a Nassagaweya division and Metro Pace elim, before finishing third to Captaintreacherous in the C$1 million final. Jamieson has two Cup wins, with Tell All in 2007 and Up The Credit in 2011.

Captive Audience (post nine, 8-1), trained by Colin Johnson, finished second to Captaintreacherous in his elim, beaten just three-quarters of a length after heading the champion in mid-stretch. The Art Major colt will be driven by Randy Waples, who won last year’s Pepsi North America Cup with stakes record-holder Thinking Out Loud. In 2012, Captive Audience won the Champlain Stakes at Mohawk for owners Debbie Element of Laval, Quebec and Mac Nichol of Burlington, Ontario.

Martini Hanover (post 10, 25-1), trained by Chris Ryder for owner Robert Mondillo of Delaware, Ohio, finished third to Fool Me Once in his elim with driver Dave Palone. The gelded son of Dragon Again won last year’s Metro Consolation at Mohawk and a Pennsylvania Sires Stake at The Meadows.

Sunshine Beach (post seven, 15-1) won a division of the Somebeachsomewhere in a career best 1:49.2 on June 1 and last Saturday was third in his elim to Captaintreacherous, 4-1/2 lengths in arrears. The son of Somebeachsomewhere, to be driven by Chris Christoforou for trainer Mark Steacy, is co-owned by Quebec’s Hudson Standardbred Stables of Hudson and Conrad Leber of Montreal, along with Diane Bertrand of Edmonton, Alberta.

Twilight Bonfire (post five, 30-1), owned and bred by Robert Key of Leechburg, Pa., finished fourth to Fool Me Once in his elim but drew into the Cup field. Last year, the Danny Collins trainee won the Matron at Dover Downs and finished fourth to Rockin Amadeus in the Breeders Crown final. David Miller will drive Twilight Bonfire, a son of 1999 Cup winner The Panderosa.

Thinking Out Loud set the stakes record last year of 1:47.4, eclipsing the former mark of 1:48.1 established by Well Said in 2009 while Hall of Famer Bettor’s Delight has won the race by the largest margin, 4-1/2 lengths, in 2001.

Other winners of the Cup, which began in 1984 at Greenwood Raceway, include such champions as Jate Lobell (1987), Precious Bunny (1991), Presidential Ball (1993), Cam’s Card Shark (1994), Gallo Blue Chip (2000), Rocknroll Hanover (2005) and Somebeachsomewhere (2008).

The Cup was raced at Greenwood from 1984-93, followed by Woodbine from 1994-2006. It was held at Mohawk Racetrack for the first time in 2007. The shortest-priced winners, at $2.70, are Jate Lobell and Presidential Ball, while Goalie Jeff, in 1989, provided the highest win payoff, $93.60.